The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for cleaning textile fiber flakes, or tufts, in which the textile fiber tufts are placed on the upper surface of an air-permeable supporting member, and which can be employed in connection with opening or picking of the textile material.
In a known process, a device for sucking away air from the bottom through a conveyor belt covered with fiber tufts is disposed at the side of the belt facing away from the fiber tufts. One drawback of this process is that it causes the tufts to be pulled firmly against the conveyor belt and the dust constituent may be sucked through the layer of fibers on the belt. A mechanical device is required to remove the resulting fleece from the belt which causes shortening of the staple fibers and matting.